Cheap products, and Cheap Installations

Should you decide on a DIY project or NOT, to have some idea as to what needs to be done correctly during an installation process, you can save a lot of money and headaches. Every installer has his own way of installing Artificial grass, but it’s not to say that it will be a proper installation that will last you a long time without hassles.

Preparation for base works

Artificial Grass CANNOT and SHOULD not be installed on pure soil. Directly after a rain shower the mud underneath the artificial grass will be soppy and will push through the drainage holes of the grass. This will leave your grass full of mud spots and will be very difficult to clean.

Always make sure a proper drainage base is constructed before the artificial grass is installed. An unwashed crusher is the best material to use for a drainage base, and please NO CEMENT should be mixed with it.
Please don’t use river sand, as it WILL move around as you walk on the grass and most like will gather at one corner over time with heavy rains.

The correct way to joint your Artificial Grass

It’s almost certain that your Synthetic Grass installation will have joints. It’s also right at the joints where everything goes sour and ugly very quickly if not done properly. Artificial grass should never be joint using the backing. It will NOT last and will be expensive to fix once the installation is done. Always make sure your installer nake use of proper jointing tape on all the joints. Never use Genchem glue on your joints, and it does not matter if it says “For Artificial Grass” on the tin. It will bite you…fact! Use a proper two-part poxy glue on all joints, and one more thing:- The glue should always stay flexible even when dry. If the glue becomes unbendable, you can be sure that you will get bubbles on your Artificial Grass installation and worse of all, most of the time these bubbles appear right on the joint. Very costly to fix as the complete joint have to be re-done, by cutting out the bubble and old glue, and most of the time the two pieces do not align 100% again. 

Never use nails to secure your grass. The nails will start to rust, lift from the installation and pose a huge risk for injury to your animals and kids.

Lastly, make sure your Artificial grass is installed facing the same direction, and avoid a patchy installation.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship.”

Installation Criteria

Should you decide on a DIY project or NOT, to have some idea as to what needs to be done correctly during an installation process, you can save a lot of money and headaches. Every installer has his own way of installing Artificial grass, but it’s not to say that it will be a proper installation that will last you a long time without hassles.

Preparation for base works

Artificial Grass CANNOT and SHOULD not be installed on pure soil. Directly after a rain shower the mud underneath the artificial grass will be soppy and will push through the drainage holes of the grass. This will leave your grass full of mud spots and will be very difficult to clean.

Always make sure a proper drainage base is constructed before the artificial grass is installed. An unwashed crusher is the best material to use for a drainage base, and please NO CEMENT should be mixed with it.
Please don’t use river sand, as it WILL move around as you walk on the grass and most like will gather at one corner over time with heavy rains.

The correct way to joint your Artificial Grass

It’s almost certain that your Synthetic Grass installation will have joints. It’s also right at the joints where everything goes sour and ugly very quickly if not done properly. Artificial grass should never be joint using the backing. It will NOT last and will be expensive to fix once the installation is done. Always make sure your installer nake use of proper jointing tape on all the joints. Never use Genchem glue on your joints, and it does not matter if it says “For Artificial Grass” on the tin. It will bite you…fact! Use a proper two-part poxy glue on all joints, and one more thing:- The glue should always stay flexible even when dry. If the glue becomes unbendable, you can be sure that you will get bubbles on your Artificial Grass installation and worse of all, most of the time these bubbles appear right on the joint. Very costly to fix as the complete joint have to be re-done, by cutting out the bubble and old glue, and most of the time the two pieces do not align 100% again. 

Never use nails to secure your grass. The nails will start to rust, lift from the installation and pose a huge risk for injury to your animals and kids.

Lastly, make sure your Artificial grass is installed facing the same direction, and avoid a patchy installation.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship.”

Benefits of Artificial Grass on Playgrounds

• A soft, safe and clean playing surface for children
• User-friendly playground: no puddles, quick-drying
• Safe playground: breaking falls, no slippery conditions

• Minimum of maintenance
• Economic investment compared to other alternatives, such as rubber tiles
• Environmentally safe solution
• Long life span
• Available all year long for kids to enjoy
• Dries very quick and ready for kid activities

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

Correct Artificial Grass for Playgrounds

Playgrounds at nursery schools and primary schools (Grade R’s) are used intensively,
especially when the playgrounds are provided with ‘challenging’ playing equipment like jungle gyms, slides, swings, etc.
Natural grass won’t survive in these heavy traffic circumstances.

Besides being able to withstand intensive use and its long life span, another advantage of artificial grass for playgrounds is that children also stay reasonably clean when they play on it.
They can have fun rolling and crawling around without getting mud or grass stains.
Turfscape offers 4 excellent synthetic grass types as alternatives here.

First alternative:- Syn40/50/60
Syn40 is our soccer/football grass and is the primary choice for playgrounds.
The 40/50/60 refers to the length of the fibers. The grass is in-filled with a layer of clean washed silica sand and a layer of rubber granules.
The sand acts as a protection for the grass and keeps the fibers upright, while the rubber granules provide the shock absorbency effect to the synthetic grass.
The grass is specially made to have a slide effect, thus no grass burn will occur if a child falls and slide on the grass.
A proper playground surface is one of the most important factors in reducing injuries – and the severity of injuries – that occur when kids fall from climbing equipment.
You want a playground surface where parents can put their minds at ease about letting your children play on the climbing equipment. The Syn40/50/60 grass should be used if the playing equipment (jungle gyms) is very high like the types build with wooden poles.
Its recommended to have a Syn50/60 installed directly underneath the equipment, and the outer areas can be covered with Syn40. After a rain shower, artificial grass also quickly dries up again.

Second alternative:- Synscape 35(Lux)
Our Synscape Lux synthetic grass is primarily used for gardens but is an excellent choice when your jungle gym equipment is of the painted pole type.
Its fibers are long, have a curly double-stitched yarn that acts as the infill.
Because of the curly infill yarn, it does not require sand and rubber infill material.
The grass is very soft to touch, and really feels and looks very natural like real Kikuyu grass.
One very important thing to remember, NEVER install synthetic playground grass on a concrete slap, cement or paving.
It completely defeats its purpose. Make sure your synthetic grass is installed on a well-designed drainage base system.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

Animals (Dogs) vs Synthetic grass?

Artificial grass is pet-proof and very pet-friendly. Really?
That’s what everybody will tell you? Seriously?
Do you have dogs? No problem at all. Pets just love artificial grass, and will not destroy or rip it apart.
In fact, they find it so cosey in wintertime, because of the heat and it will become their spot to relax in the winter sun.
So, if that is what is meant by pet-friendly grass, then YES!!! it’s true.
BUT, if you think of pet-friendly grass as in the dog can pee/poo on it as on normal Kikuyu grass, you in for a BIGGGG surprise.
The BIGGER the dog, the BIGGER the bladder, the BIGGER the problem.
The ONLY pet-friendly grass in South Africa is our Petscape. Why? There is a huge difference in the type of backing that is used.
Have a look at our product range, and familiarize yourself with the difference of backing types.
You WILL regret laying normal artificial grass in your garden if you do have dogs, guaranteed, within a month.
So Don’t believe that story again for one moment.
Dogs need to eat real grass for their metabolism. So yes they will try to eat the synthetic grass, but they learn quick.
Dogs need a place to bury their personal belongings, ye, sometimes the owner’s. So they need a place to dig.
If you cover all your yard with synthetic grass, you might have a problem, but then again, dogs learn quickly.
Regular cleaning after your dog is a constant, never-ending job. If you do have sprayers, keep them working
An Installer worth his money will be able to work around the sprayers, and keep them functional at all times.
Use the sprayers as normal, skip a day or two, and you will soon notice it. Visually and non-visually( through your nose).
That’s why a good, well-constructed drainage base is imperative underneath the Artificial Grass (Petscape) to absorb the continuous watering/cleaning process.
If it does start to smell, then the old story of vinegar and water does work to an extent, but it’s going to be repeated for a couple of days.
A dilution of normal pine gel mixed with water, leave it for an hour, and then rinse it well, does do the trick.
Do not just trust all these so-called “Artificial Grass Dog cleaning mysteriously vanishing products” that are becoming very popular on the market. We have tested several products, and it DOES NOT WORK.
I do not say DON’T TRY IT, All I’m saying is it does not work for my dog!!!
It could work for your dog

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

Synthetic Grass for Balconies, Patios & Decks

Artificial grass is the perfect cover for that boring concrete on your balcony or patio.
It’s very easy to turn your balcony or patio into a beautiful, relaxed, attractive ambiance with Turfscape’s Synscape range of synthetic grass.

Our synthetic grass is most suitable for decking too, and it will offer you satisfaction for many years to come.
The surface of a balcony is mostly flat (concrete or other hard surfacing covered with water sealant material),
so the installation of artificial grass is very simple.
On the concrete, it can just be glued down on the edges.
When you have a water sealant installed, the synthetic grass can still be glued down, but use chemical-based epoxy glue.
We prefer not to glue the grass down onto the waterproofing, as it will destroy your grass should you need repairs to the waterproof.
It is important that you consider the slope of your balcony or patio and the water drainage is good.
Most balconies are constructed in a way to allow water drainage to run-off.
It is not good for the synthetic grass when the bottom remains wet all the time.
Our synthetic grass is perfect for a wooden decking. Just make sure the joints between the boards is small enough,
if not it can be covered with wooden dowels in order to avoid visibility deck pattern on the top of the synthetic grass.
Also keep in mind that the wood deck under the artificial grass will take a lot longer to dry, so the water drainage and air ventilation must be perfect.
Potted plants and garden furniture will enhance these tranquil areas.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

How do I maintain my Synthetic Lawn?

It is possible to enjoy an attractive, luxurious artificial lawn for many years with a minimum of maintenance. Some cleaning tips:
• Washing. Remove leaves, weeds and other debris immediately by means of a blower. It is important to keep artificial grass clean at all times. Plain water from the hose to rinse your grass on a regular base, if it is not raining, is perfect.
• Brushing. Synthetic grass fibers tend to lay flat after usage. Periodically brushing the fibers with a hard bristle broom will remedy this. Brushing should be done against the grain of the fibers.

• Blowing. Keep the artificial turf clean using a normal leaf blower or brush. If you did invest in a large area of artificial lawn, it’s worth investing in a brush machine.
If your synthetic lawn is the “infill type” (sand and/or rubber), and you do use a blower, do not blow directly into the synthetic lawn fibers as all the infill will blow away. Blow with an angle on the artificial grass.
• Weed control. By keeping the artificial lawn clean will prevent weed growth between the fibers.
Weeds can be easily removed by plucking, brushing or raking the grass.
Make sure weeds are removed before they can take root, especially along the edges of the turf.
A number of environmentally friendly products can be purchased at home improvement centers and garden centers that kill algae, moss, and weeds directly.
If the instructions are followed carefully, the artificial lawn will not suffer any damage.
• Chemicals. Do not use any chemicals directly on your artificial grass. Household dishwashing liquid can be used if needed.

Rarely should it be necessary to make use of soap, as water will be more than adequate to clean your synthetic lawn.
Damages to artificial grass can be repaired. The damaged piece of artificial turf is cut out and replaced by a new piece.
It is therefore advisable to save any remnants of your synthetic grass left over after the installation.
These can be used for any repairs.
Just be aware of the fact that used artificial grass will look differently than new grass, even when it is the same product. A repair usually remains visible for a while. Over time, this difference in color will be less and less visible.

Synthetic Grass is NOT pet-friendly as most of the installers and suppliers claim to be. Not even specially made Pet-Friendly Artificial grass with a pet-friendly backing. You NEED to and MUST keep the Artificial Grass clean, control the stink on a regular basis and keep the Artificial grass hygienically clean for you to enjoy. Remember this:- The Bigger the Dog the Bigger the Bladder the Bigger the Problem.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

Disadvantages of Artificial grass

Artificial grass is NOT something that fell from heaven, and will instantly solve all your problems.
Apart from the fact that Artificial grass is expensive, other disadvantages are that artificial grass is much warmer in the summer heat than natural grass.
Yes, it does get very hot!!! In the middle of Summer, it does get AFRIKAANS Hot
This is due to the fact that artificial grass does not Photosynthesis as normal Kikuyu grass thus does not have an auto cooldown process
It’s also a bit darker than natural grass, which lends itself to attract the sun more.

A visual disadvantage of artificial grass is the fact that it does not change color along with the seasons.
This disadvantage is now 60% eliminated by choosing a grass with brown yarn in it, making it much more realistic looking. Please do NOT believe the prevarication about putting sand in the grass will keep it much cooler.

Artificial grass may be low maintenance but certainly not entirely maintenance-free, as is often believed or proclaimed.
Long-term use also subjects the artificial grass to normal wear and tear which lead to the synthetic grass flattening
and therefore should be brushed up on a regular base, even much more so with flat blade yarn types.
The frequency of brushing depends on how intensely the turf is used. and could be part of your normal maintenance routines.

The biggest disadvantage and/or aspect that is often overseen or not talked about, is the fact that artificial grass requires a professional installation.
Very often an unprofessional installation (certainly when it comes to large surface areas) often leads to unsatisfying results.
Remember, In the long term, a professional installation pays for itself, also in terms of the pleasure derived from the use and the durability of the synthetic grass.

Synthetic Grass is NOT pet-friendly as most of the installers and suppliers claim to be. Not even specially made Pet-Friendly Artificial grass with a pet-friendly backing. You NEED to and MUST keep the Artificial Grass clean, control the stink on a regular basis and keep the Artificial grass hygienically clean for you to enjoy. Remember this:- The Bigger the Dog the Bigger the Bladder the Bigger the Problem.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

Advantages / Benefits of Artificial grass

The main reasons why most people choose artificial turf include low maintenance, high functionality, and aesthetic or decorative value
Other benefits or advantages are:-

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

Synthetic grass for Home, Garden & Patio

The newest generation of synthetic grass is soft, comfortable and appears naturally real.
Artificial grass can be the perfect cover for that boring concrete on your balcony or patio.

It’s very easy to turn your balcony or patio into a beautiful, relaxed, attractive ambiance with Turfscape’s range of synthetic grass.

You can enjoy your garden every single day of the year with an artificial lawn because the newest ranges of artificial grass have become a beautiful and practical alternative for gardens.
This durable, unique artificial grass carpet requires very little maintenance and is a stylish solution for any garden.
The most important thing to remember when installing Synthetic grass in your garden is that artificial grass requires a different sub-base and ground preparation than natural grass.

You should NEVER lay Synthetic grass directly on top of your soil.
Prepare a proper drainage sub base before installation.
This will ensure you enjoy your Synthetic grass for many years to come.

Artificial Grass can be installed on top of paving, just remember, with a short pile height, the paving pattern will start to show on the grass after a while.
Use a longer pile height, and do regular maintenance i.e. brushing it up, will prevent the pattern showing on your grass.

On a rooftop, very important to remember that you should never use a solvent base glue, as it will damage your rubber waterproofing.
Always use a chemical base glue.
I have also NeVeR met a builder who’s waterproofing does not give a problem sometimes,
and then the grass needs to be cut loose.
SO!!! Just spot glue the grass, and use benches, flower pots or whatever to hold the grass down.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

How to choose the correct Artificial grass product

When deciding on a Synthetic grass installation project, the first thing to think about is long term investment.
The grass should last you a very long time.
It is an expensive exercise, even more so if you cannot DIY your project.
BUT… you don’t have to pay extraordinary prices for Synthetic grass.
Do consider cheaper artificial grass that is imported, because the quality, textures, and aesthetics of the grass have dramatically changed the past couple of years.
We at Turfscape can offer you not only locally made products but also imported, high-quality Synthetic grass that carries a 5-year warranty.
Have a look at our product ranges AND ask for samples.

Depending on the intended use, there are several options at various price ranges from which to choose from.
If an aesthetic value is of lesser importance, choose a budget-friendly alternative.
An important thing to look at when choosing Artificial grass is to ask for samples and feel the grass texture with your feet and make the correct choice of Artificial grass for your specific project. i.e. Nursery schools should definitely consider an Artificial grass product for their playgrounds with a 35mm pile height or more, BUT NOT LESS than 35mm for playgrounds with jungle gyms.

You should base your decision on the nature of the usage, as well as your personal preferences in terms of color combinations and softness and naturally budget.

Whichever type of synthetic grass is most suitable depends on the location and intensity of expected use, i.e. high traffic volumes,
go for more robust, shorter pile height, just aesthetics purposes,
go for midrange pile height, garden, pool areas, go for a longer, softer pile height, etc.

Don’t take the first synthetic grass sample shown to you.
A good idea is to get samples of the grass types you’re interested in, and then base your decision on what you see and feel.

Remember, this should be a long term investment decision, and there is a big difference between synthetic grass, and fake grass.
Always compare prices of Artificial grass products by the pile height and density of the grass.
If you were quoted on a 30mm or 35mm, make sure your comparison quotes is also based on the same pile height or better.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

Why and when should you consider Synthetic Grass?

In problematic areas where grass just does not want to grow, i.e. shady areas,
general playgrounds where too many feet (intensive use) prevent the grass from growing, or perhaps in areas where maintenance is problematic.
Any other area where you have to incur the expense or hassles of period replanting natural grass.

At first, it is an expensive exercise, but artificial turf is a smarter investment then chemically enhanced grass.

Artificial turf requires less maintenance and is much more durable and sustainable than normal Kikuyu grass. Artificial turf is also an excellent alternative to the pavement (cobblestones, concrete, asphalt, etc.)
in terms of both functionality and price.

Nowadays, many complex’s is just paving, paving and paving, with a little/none/very small piece of grass.
Remember, Artificial Grass can be installed on top of paving, to make an area more human-friendly.
After all, a piece of lawn is also beautiful, emotional, like a pool, and it has emotional value, both to humans and pets.
It makes a garden look beautiful and serene.
We just can’t ignore the aesthetic value of synthetic turf.

It is now available in an array of blade lengths and textures (including variegated strands), the new generation of synthetic grass
can fool most, as it looks so natural real.

Nursery schools should definitely consider an Artificial grass product for their playgrounds.
Remember, 35mm pile height or more, BUT NOT LESS than 35mm for playgrounds with jungle gyms.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”

What is Artificial Grass made off?

There are more names for this product than any other product that I know of.
It’s ridiculous all the names people have for Synthetic grass. Synthetic Grass, Synthetic Turf, Synthetic Lawn, Artificial Grass, Artificial Lawn, Artificial Turf, Fake Grass, Plastic Grass and probably a lot more that can be mentioned.

Synthetic grass or artificial grass is a machine-made surface manufactured from synthetic materials
e.g. Polypropylene or Polyethylene.
In previous years, it was mostly used in arenas for sports that were originally played on grass, however, since the late 1990s,
uses of synthetic grass have moved rapidly beyond Soccer to Cricket to Golf to Residential and Landscaping applications.

The most common type uses Polypropylene which is tufted to the applicable length, lubricated with silicone onto a rubberized base.

The grass once installed are then top dressed with silica sand which keeps the fibers upright and provides the right level of speed- and bounce height of the ball and prevents de-formability.

The latest additions to synthetic grass are longer fiber grasses that are infilled with combinations of sand and rubber granules.
The infill materials provide the right level of shock absorbency and are soft to the touch. It is specially manufactured for
sports i.e. Soccer, Playground areas, Garden and Driving Mats for golf purposes. There are now also longer fiber grass available which requires no infill.
Applications for these grasses are gardens, exhibitions, recreational areas, etc. The quality and variety of synthetic grasses that are available have improved dramatically as the need for the grass expands daily.
Residential properties have become smaller and the tendency of cluster home-style suburbs, labor & machinery costs,
limited spending time on garden maintenance, all contribute to the increasing interest in synthetic grass as an alternative. The artificial grass of today looks very real!

Its a safe investment for many years, has many benefits and is easy to clean, requires little care and can be installed anywhere.

Close Article

We at Turfscape strongly believe there must be a delicate balance between, “We must prove ourselves again and again through our workmanship and leadership,”—yet at the same time, says, “We are confident that we can prove ourselves again and again with our workmanship and leadership.”